Experts interviewed by Forbes consider what baby boomers have to look forward to in terms of job search and career prospects in the year ahead. Author Dawn Graham says new technology, globalization, and economic shifts are driving the prevalence of hybrid roles, which presents opportunities for seasoned professionals. "Older workers who have thrived at different companies with varying cultures, survived big economic swings, and learned to engage a multitude of communication mediums will be strong candidates for these hybrid roles, which tend to pay more and also be less likely to be taken over by automation," she notes. NETability President Susan P. Joyce thinks telecommuting should increase in 2020, while Stanford University Professor Nicholas Bloom envisions more home-based boomers. In such situations, boomers are much more satisfied with their jobs, quit their jobs less often than non-home-based employees, and can concentrate better for more productivity. Finally, Interview Success Inc. founder Alan Carniol forecasts that more boomers will postpone retirement and seek a better work-life balance. "Boomers will look for work that adds lifestyle flexibility and a better quality of life," he predicts.

An Italian study in the Journal of Headache and Pain compiled data on 548 people suffering from chronic and episodic migraines to determine overall costs incurred, reports the American Journal of Managed Care . The researchers found that costs resulting from migraine treatment increased as subjects aged. "The main item of expenditure were medications that represented 86.8 percent" of the total costs, the authors noted. Medications were followed by specialist visits, hospitalizations, diagnostic tests, and emergency department visits. The mean yearly cost of medications was $1,435.93, while preventive treatments amounted to $1,222.66. Moreover, the annual direct cost incurred by persons with chronic migraine was 4.8 times higher than those with episodic migraine.

Tea's potential to relieve depression in older adults is drawing scientific interest, with a study by the National University of Singapore Sociology considering the possibilities, reports Futurity . The study explored whether the potential effect stems from the tea's biochemical components or the social context of drinking. The researchers analyzed data on more than 13,000 older adults from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Among the variables accounted for were age, gender, residence, education, marital status, pension status, lifestyle, and health conditions. The researchers also considered the impact of social engagement, including playing cards or mahjong, community activities, and travel. Consistent daily imbibing of tea was in all cases a significant preventive factor against depressive symptoms. Urban living, education level, marital status, economic adequacy, better health, and engagement in social activities also played a role. The researchers found the association between tea drinking and less depressive symptoms was significant only for men 65 to 79 years old.

A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggests intensive blood pressure (BP) therapy could lower the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, death, and mild cognitive impairment among older adults but also accelerate renal deterioration, reports Cardiovascular Business . The researchers considered optimal BP control in 1,167 adults 80 or older, who were randomized to receive either intensive treatment with a systolic BP target of less than 120 mmHg or standard treatment with a BP target of less than 140 mmHg. Participants in the first group experienced a lower risk for cardiovascular events over time than those in the other group, but their kidney function also declined slightly. Both groups exhibited a similar rate of dementia, although those in the intensive BP cohort were 28 percent less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than their counterparts. Older adults' risk for injury-causing falls was not elevated by intensive BP therapy.

A study in Aging and Mental Health found persons with Alzheimer's disease prefer participating in familiar activities that are emotionally meaningful rather than task-oriented, reports Medical Xpress . "They want to be around people who make them feel good, that they have connections with, and they want to continue to participate in activities that they did prior to their diagnosis — things that are familiar to them, are comfortable, and that are within the scope of their abilities," said the University of Alberta's Linzy Bohn. She noted the viewpoint of persons with Alzheimer's has for the most part been excluded from research because of the misconception that they are unlikely or unable to provide accurate or reliable information. The researchers learned participants with Alzheimer's were the same chronological age as adults 75 years and older, yet possessed a similar time perspective to young-old adults who were about two decades younger. Meeting new people and learning new skills were the least important factors to people with Alzheimer's in deciding what activities to pursue. These findings have ramifications for activities that care communities should offer. "Individuals with Alzheimer's disease are not much different from their healthy peers, and their perception of what is a meaningful activity is actually a continuation of what you would see in normal aging," Bohn concluded.

Forbes observes that more and more employers are learning that temporary, specialized workers — or what is increasingly becoming known as "the liquid workforce" — can help them remain relevant in the quickly evolving, project-based, digital landscape. Joint research from Upwork and Freelancers Union estimates that approximately 57 million people worked freelance in 2019, an increase of four million from 2014. This increase has made it easier for businesses of many types to engage the liquid workforce and recognize their numerous benefits, including greater flexibility, instant support for specific projects, on-demand access to expertise, and reduced overhead. Tapping into the liquid workforce is enabling employers to be nimble by fluidly shifting their operations as new challenges come up.

University of Virginia (UVA) Professor Cathy Campbell says transgender seniors are especially vulnerable at the end of their lives, and sometimes hide their gender from healthcare providers out of fear of mistreatment and discrimination, reports UVA Today . "Some caregivers proselytize, try to convert people, and might even withhold care because of their own biases," Campbell notes. UVA Health is involved in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's annual Healthcare Equality Index program, offering learning opportunities and on-demand courses each year through the National LGBTQ Health and Education Center and the Human Rights Campaign's Center for Affiliated Learning to ensure doctors understand and are dedicated to compassionate and holistic care of LGBTQ recipients. Campbell and UVA nurse Lauren Catlett co-authored a case study examining the social and spiritual needs of a senior transgender woman dying of esophageal cancer published in the Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care Nursing . The final product was a book that related the woman's story, which Catlett describes as "an important work not only because it highlights the story of somebody who was marginalized in society, but also because it was a larger human story, and really spoke to themes we all can relate to: acceptance, forgiveness, transformation, hope." Catlett adds that transgender seniors see volunteerism as a form of spiritual expression. Campbell stresses that "acknowledging the configuration of family is extremely important" for dying transgender persons.

The Tennessee YMCA has terminated its relationship with the Silver Sneakers Medicare fitness program, which means the end of a free fitness program offered to thousands of seniors statewide, reports WREG-TV . Silver Sneakers says over 10,000 seniors will be affected throughout Tennessee, including many in rural regions. A Silver Sneakers spokesperson notes the partnership will continue with more than 1,500 other YMCAs across the United States. According to Tennessee State Alliance of YMCAs Executive Director Ted Cornelius, the "short-term impact of the split will be much easier to weather than a long-term relationship with Silver Sneakers, which would impair the Y's ability to serve seniors, children, and families." Silver Sneakers members will still be able to access Planet Fitness, Gold's Gym, and other fitness options for free, but the organization is worried about those with limited options.

The National Poll on Healthy Aging of more than 2,000 older American adults found only 43 percent of men and women between 50 and 80 years of age have gone online to see reviews of doctors, reports United Press International . Of this group, 66 percent selected a doctor because of good online ratings and reviews, but reviews were assigned as much importance as what older adults heard from friends and relatives. Sixty-nine percent of older adults had doctor decisions influenced by the wait time for an appointment, and about 40 percent by recommendations from other doctors or the physician's level of experience. Just 7 percent said they had posted an online review or a rating of a doctor. Among the cohort that looked at online reviews, 69 percent said they would not choose a doctor with mostly negative reviews, while 71 percent said some bad reviews among lots of positive reviews would not sway them from choosing a physician. "Although online physician reviews and ratings are important to older consumers, they are savvy about information gathered on the Internet and have a healthy dose of skepticism around them, too," said AARP's Alison Bryant.

GaitIQ founder Rick Morris started his company to design software that is capable of identifying early signs of Alzheimer's by analyzing an individual's gait, according to the Rivard Report . Morris said proteins that appear as plaque in the brains of people with Alzheimer's begin manifesting in one's 30s, but few carriers are aware until symptoms appear and they receive a formal diagnosis, mainly due to the cost of diagnostic tests. He hopes GaitIQ's Alzheimer's screening can help ward off the disease for years and save people thousands of dollars in healthcare expenses. Morris says by measuring subtle shifts in a person's walking patterns early in Alzheimer's progression, "through early intervention we can definitely move the needle." Helping to build GaitIQ's underlying technology is Barbara Schnan Mastronardi, a systems engineer at the Geekdom startup incubator. Her expertise is in three-dimensional programming and modeling, and she has spent the past 12 months compiling data on gait movement to inform the algorithms that drive GaitIQ's Alzheimer's screening system. GaitIQ has been developing its technology for about two years with funding from a U.S. National Institute of Health grant.